


We got that sunny morning waiting on us now.

by SmolMo



Series: How to safe a life [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AtsuHina, Boba Tea, Bokuaka - Freeform, Bokuto Koutarou is a Mess, Breakfast, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Holding Hands, MSBY Black Jackals - Freeform, Meian Shuugo - Freeform, Meian Shuugo's wife, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pro Volleyball Player Sakusa Kiyoomi, Roomates, Sakusa in a suit, Slow Burn, Soft Sakusa, Some Cursing, Stealing Food, a chewtoy is not a baby gift, clorox wipes are not gift options, creative cursing, discussion about babies, discussion about coffee, does this count as a date?, early morning, omg they were roomates, reader is a surgical intern, reader is kind of a caffeine addict, sakusa in a dress shirt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmolMo/pseuds/SmolMo
Summary: You're tired but refusing to go to sleep and having an even shittier sleeping schedule than before.Hoping that caffeine will keep you awake long enough to do stuff other than staying at home all day.Luckily Sakusa suggest going out shopping in the city and meeting his team for dinner.But first he'll make you breakfast so you eat something other than just coffee.UPDATES CH: 4 on 18.12.
Relationships: Sakusa Kiyoomi & Reader, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader
Series: How to safe a life [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988641
Comments: 33
Kudos: 184





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by Melody Gardot- Morning Sun

Adrenaline was still rushing through his body as Kiyoomi plopped out his earbuds, disconnected the Bluetooth from his phone. Stepping out of his sneakers on the genkan, he smelled the familiar scent of your vanilla shower gel. He concluded that you must have showered while he was out on his morning jog. When his alarm has woken him up at 6 o clock, you hadn’t been home. 

However, the scent of vanilla and something flowery was interlaced with the bitter smell of coffee. Gurgling noise from the kitchen let him know that indeed you were home—later home from your overnight shifts than usual.

Frowning a little, he slipped into the bathroom to take a shower. The scent of vanilla was even more pungent in here. The whole damn room smelling of you, he thought as he stripped out of his clothes, threw them in the overfilling laundry basket, and stepped into the shower. 

Ah… your bottle of vanilla and elderflower was tipped over and slowly leaking into the drain.That's why the scent was so strong.

You probably must be so exhausted that you forgot to properly put away the fancy shower gel that was now almost empty. Sakusa sighed, turning on the water. You left it at the highest sizzling, hot temperature, of course. He cursed, turned it cold. He wasn’t fond of burning off his flesh. Cleaned off the sweat and dirt and got out five minutes later, wrapping a towel around his waist and patting his hair dry. 

He kept some boxers and a shirt in the drawer of the bathroom cabinet because whenever he’d walked out with just the towel, you’d been pretty flustered. Although Sakusa had to admit, you looked too adorable, all flushed and stuttering. 

He thought not to do so anymore, for your sake (and sanity). You also kept unintentionally dropping things that you’ve had in your hands. All of that broken china had to be replaced. 

Sakusa went into your living room with the open kitchen to pull up the blinds and ventilate the room. That’s when he saw you slumped over at the kitchen island on one of the high chairs, cheeks planted on the cool worktop, eyes closed and quietly snoring. 

He leaned against the wall watching you, and had to smile as he noticed your mouth was open, seemingly relaxed. However, it could not possibly be a comfortable position hunched as you were. 

He also noticed that you were drooling a little onto the surface. It surprised him that he found it more adorable than disgusting. 

As on cue, you smacked your lips, mumbled something in your sleep, and wiggled your nose but continued peacefully dozing away. 

Sakusa went around the kitchen island into the kitchen area, got a bottle of water out of the fridge, and took a few gulps before letting his eyes trail over you once more. 

Now in the kitchen area, he was able to see that you were wearing a hoodie. One of his MSBY hoodies you’d borrowed once and mysteriously never returned. It was huge on you, going to the mid of your exposed thigh, and Sakusa could only guess if you wore something underneath it.

Shit, he thought to himself and cleared his head with more water before deciding to wake you from the miserable position and save you from a stiff neck lasting a couple of days.

“Y/N,” he said softly, patting your shoulder. No reaction. How come that you could wake up instantly whenever you heard your pager but not when another person physically woke you. 

Kiyoomi couldn’t help but smile as he once again patted your shoulder, moving his hand more to the center of your back “Y/N you’re gonna get a sore neck…Y/N”.

He hesitated before running his thumb up your trapeze muscle, feeling the tension in your flesh, and froze as he heard a moan escaping from your mouth. 

Shit…he was in deep shit…he debated to once again massage your neck with his hand. 

It showed a better reaction than waking you by calling…. but decided against it and frankly put his palm on your shoulder, squeezing in.

“Y/N….C-coffee is ready…” he said, and as if it was the correct password, your eyes fluttered open.

Sakusa pulled back his hand and leaned the side of his hip against the counter and watched, cross-armed and smiling as you yawned, stretched out like a cat, and rubbed your eyes.

“Kiyo?” you said, yawning away the rest of the name. “What time is it?”

“It’s 8,” he said, glancing at the clock in the kitchen. “When did you get home?”

“An hour ago…traffic was terrible…” you said, slumping onto the countertop again.  
Your body screaming of exhaustion and hunger, but your mind racing towards all the things you had on your checklist.

“If you're tired…you should better go to bed and sleep there,” Sakusa chuckled, tempted to ruffle the mess on top of your head that used to be a bun and now looked more like a bird’s nest.

“Nooo…..” you whined into your arms, voice muffled by the fabric of the hoodie you started ranting. 

“If I sleep now I’ll probably wake up around 2 in the afternoon, have a strange breakfast lunch situation, probably be overtired throughout the day and will stay awake until late into the night because I can’t fall asleep…my sleeping schedule already sucks….so.”

“ So you are staying up for the next hours and encouraging an even shittier sleeping schedule?” he concluded.

“Exactly,” you muffled into your hoodie.

“Let me summarize,” he said and leaned onto the countertop, propping his chin on his palm, and tilted his head. “You just came home from a 24-hour shift…decide to take a power nap and stay away for twelve more hours?” he said.

“Affirmative,” you said into the hoodie.

“And you're doping yourself with caffeine.”

“Yes…maybe some energy drinks as well.”

“Pardon me for asking…but isn’t that very unhealthy…doc?” he smirked as you shot him a glare. 

He was smiling at you. Leaning on his chin on his palm, eyes softly grazing over your face. His hair fluffed up from the shower. Morning summer light was shining through the blinds illuminating the floor with rays of sunshine. You felt incredibly warm and comfortable with the two of you looking at each other in your kitchen. Memorizing the specific features of each other’s faces. The lashes framing his dark eyes, Kiyoomi’s two birthmarks on his forehead.

It made your stomach churn…. loudly complaining about the lack of food. Loud enough, it made both of you shake from your stupor.

“Someone’s hungry…” Kiyoomi laughed and pushed himself off the counter. “I’ll make breakfast, eggs and toast okay…we also have some leftover grilled mackerel?”

“Fine by me,” you hopped off the stool, reached for the cupboard with the coffee mugs wanting to pour yourself a steaming cup of liquid goodness. 

When a strong arm snaked around your waist from behind and pulled you back gently.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kiyoomi said, his breath tickling your neck.

“G-getting coffee?” you stammered, shuffling your feet.

“Y/N” Kiyoomi sighed and pulled you back by your waist and guided you back to the chair, explaining, “You’ll get that crap once you eat something decent. Just sit there…and be pretty.”

He dared to grin at your flushed face and turned to the stove to make breakfast.

You pulled your legs up to your chest. Draping your arms around the knees and rested your chin on top of them. The hoodie you were wearing rode up a little, so the baby blue cotton shorts you were wearing became visible.

Sakusa noticed that too, and to distract himself from your exposed thighs, he busied himself with making an omelet with some diced mushrooms and spring onions. 

The mouthwatering scent wafting over as he moved around at the stove, his muscular back turned to you. The t-shirt only enhancing his strong arms and back muscles. 

Once more, you realized that Sakura had that perfect triangular body, broad shoulders, and a small waist. You wondered what it would feel like to put your arms around him, face pressed to his back, feeling his heartbeat.

Sakusa had developed a habit of putting an arm around your waist to stir you into whatever direction he’d like. It had started a few weeks ago when Sakusa had that fever, and Yoshio had turned up. That night when he’d fallen asleep with his head in your lap…when you’d woken up with Sakusa’s arms around your torso, his head draped on your chest.

You didn’t mind...at all, actually. It was good to know that Sakusa felt comfortable enough around you to encourage physical contact. It made your chest flutter when he did it…he was so gentle in his touch.

At the same time, you were unsure about this situation…hesitant…because although he initiated physical contact. You didn’t mind (AT ALL). You knew that it would not be easy for you to do the same. 

After all, Sakusa was mysophobic, and he probably would mind you touching him…big time. Then your home life would be awkward and tense, and you didn’t want that kind of tension. Things were good as they were…platonic…cept the butterflies whenever you saw him and the burning sensation you felt whenever he touched you.

“Y/N…. are you asleep again?” the wing spiker said, looking over his shoulder at you smirking.

“I’m awake!” you said quickly, jolting up in the seat. 

Hopefully, Kiyoomi thought you were close to falling asleep again and not that you totally kept staring at his back.

“Tell me about your day at work…any special cases? You’re on ortho this week right?” he said, flipping the omelet in the first frypan and checked the mackerel in the other. With his other hand, he lazily put bread into the toaster.

“Yes… it’s fun actually…” you said. “A lot of broken bones, screws and casts…not really my thing though…I feel more like I’m in a bike shop than in the operating room.”

“Any hard cases?” he turned over the mackerel with cooking chopsticks and, once correctly heated, put it on a long-serving plate.

“Surprisingly easy…in comparison to cardio or neuro,” you said, wiggling your toes “we had several hip and knee replacements a lot of old people. Oh!  
Yeah, there was this one teenage kid who found it hilariously funny to ride his bike down some stairs. That is without a helmet to impress his girlfriend. He ended up with several fractures in his arms, a broken collarbone and by sheer luck only had a mild fracture in his scull…”

“Idiot….” Sakusa commented, getting out two plates and buttering the toast, “How old was the kid?”

“14,” you chuckled, remembering the boy. “Got the girl though, she never left his bedside until we practically had to drag her out after visiting hours….”

“To give the kid credit, he tried hard to impress her,” Sakusa said and pulled out grape juice from the fridge and poured it a glass and handed it to you. Then turned to the stove again, commenting.

“Boys try the most stupid things to impress girls…”

“Yeah right, “you almost snorted into your juice. “I’ve never seen you do stupid things to impress a girl.”

“That’s,” Kiyoomi said nonchalantly, perfectly flipping the omelet onto the plate and grinned at you as he came over. Balancing three plates on his arms effortlessly.  
“Is because I’m a man…”. 

He set the plates on the counter and casually grabbed the glass out of your hand and sipped juice, stating, “We do other things to impress girls…women…” he winked.

“Yeah…. doesn’t make them less stupid,” You smiled despite the burning sensation on your cheeks. Clearing your throat, you added, “Thanks for the food!”.

“Dig in…” he said and grabbed his chopsticks to put on parts of the omelets onto the toast.

You ate in silence, enjoying the flavor of the food when Sakusa finally broke the silence, “So…since you’re planning on staying up…what are your plans for today?”

“I’m gonna do laundry and go for a walk or something.”

“Sounds exciting,” he huffed, picking up a piece of fish.

“Yeah…what are your plans, probably training and gym sessions…muuch more exciting,” you laughed, snatching the fish from his plate.

“Well…” he returned the favor by grabbing your juice again, “I actually need to go and look for another suit…”

“You’re going shopping voluntarily?”

“Actually, I need to get the suit for this charity gala event I’m forced to attend with the team in a few weeks…” he explained. Sakusa stood up and made his way to the coffee machine, pouring a cup “if you want you can join me for a trip to the city…”

Wait, was Sakusa Kiyoomi offering to go shopping with him, in the crowded city of all places?  
You absentmindedly considered your option…it had been a long time since you strolled through the streets of Osaka. Even if you weren’t looking for something, in particular, window shopping would be quite lovely these days.

Kiyoomi’s smooth voice snapped you out of your thoughts when he asked, “Sugar?”

“Yes, Yoomi?” you blinked, then realized that he was gesturing towards the cup of coffee in his hands.

“I mean,” he said, amusement tinting his baritone voice, “Do you want sugar?”

“No, thanks… I’ll have it black please,” you said and wanted to bury your face in your hands to hide your flushed face. Instead, you turned around and reached towards a drawer where you kept some snacks and took out a bar of rich dark chocolate, broke off a piece.  
Sakusa sat down next to you again and took a small sip from the steaming beverage.

“It’s disgusting…how can you drink that stuff,” he said and shoved the mug towards you.

“Shhh…coffee-chan he doesn’t mean it that way,” you cooed and dropped the piece of chocolate into the mug before taking it into your hand and inhaling the scent.

“You do know…that it doesn’t make sense that you refuse sugar only to put in coffee…” Sakusa huffed, helping himself to the rest of your grape juice.

“This…” you said and stirred the cup and took a sip. “Tastes way better.”

The dark chocolate had hints of caramel in it. Interlaced with the rich aroma of the coffee beans, it was pure bliss.

“When are you thinking of going?” you asked and assumed that Sakusa would probably leave for the city asap. Before it got too crowded later during the day.

“Actually around 2pm...” he stated. “We’re meeting up for an early dinner today, so I thought that I might combine the two things…”

“Who’s we?” you asked. “Bo, Miya and Shouyo?”

“Actually all of the team,” Sakusa sighed and ruffled his hair. “Meian is inviting us, he and his wife had their baby and he wanted to celebrate that… she’ll be there too…so you’d have some company.”

“Oh my gosh…you didn’t tell me that they had their baby! When did that happen?” you squealed and thought of the MSBY Captain and his wife, Amaya.

You met Amaya once last year at the Jackals Christmas party at their house. You had gotten along quite nicely before you got called in for an emergency at the hospital. Amaya had been so nice to lend you a pair of sneakers. Otherwise, you would have run around the hospital in your heels. 

“Like a good month ago...Maybe two…. can’t remember” Sakusa shrugged, slightly taken aback by your outburst, “It’s a boy…I think?”

“You think? Did you get them anything?” you asked and gasped when Sakusa shook his head. “Yoomi, you need to get them something…you have such bad manners sometimes.”

“Do I?”

“Yes,” you said, then added, “I’m totally coming with you…. you’ll end up buying the poor kid Clorox wipes.”

“Kids smell…” Kiyoomi stated, “Their messy and digesting…”

“At this stage babies,” you said with a smile, “have the most amazing clean smell…”

“Fine we’ll get the thing a chew toy or something, if you stop being creepy” he grinned at your exasperated face that turned into a yawn. “Do you need to take a nap?”

“I actually might snooze a little on the couch when the washing machine is running.Since we’re going shopping later I need the energy,” you said, sliding down from your stool to grab the plates and started washing them in the sink.

You felt a muscular chest behind your back and felt that Kiyoomi was towering behind you. His clean scent with hints of cedar entrancing you. 

“Y/N let me…” Sakusa stated, taking the dishes out of your hands.

“What about the rule…one cooks the other does the dishes?” you chuckled nervously as his hands touched yours.

“You’re doing laundry….” he commented and stepped even closer, both your bodies hovering close enough that you could feel his body heat. “I’ll do the dishes…”

“S-ure…” you mumbled but couldn’t move and hesitantly leaned into his chest. Sakusa didn’t object. Casually washed the plates, with his arms around your body. As if he was used to having a person standing between the sink and him. 

“…So you’re coming with me? For the dinner as well?” he asked, his breath brushing the tips of your ears as he spoke.

“Sure…if you don’t mind,” you mumbled, watching the soap bubbles on the plate.

“I would never…”


	2. "You're a mess in public, but I still think you're cute."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. A little boy called Sakusa Kiyoomi is lost in the shopping district of Osaka, 6’2 ft. tall, dark curly hair, dark green eyes, and wears a mask and usually a brooding expression.  
> If you see him, don’t approach him directly as he might get a panic attack from anyone approaching him.  
> His guardian Y/N L/N is waiting for him at the children’s department store

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title: Flatsound- "You're a mess in public, but I still think you're cute."

The city was bustling with busy people enjoying the warm but not hot afternoon. Sakusa Kiyoomi was dreading this trip already because there were so many people rushing in the streets in the early afternoon.

He pulled his masked a little higher on the bridge of his nose, hands in the pockets of his tan chinos as he walked a few steps behind you.  
  
The yellow sundress you wore swished around your legs, the embroidered dandelion pattern shining in the sun, and he watched you skip, carefree, along with the people. 

Well…there was one thing that made this trip delightful.  
  
“Oh! Yoomi!” you suddenly halted in your tracks and turned back at him, smiling.

“There is a new Boba shop over there...wanna get some?”

Kiyoomi glanced over your shoulder at a newly opened bubble tea shop with a long line of people in front of it.  
  
You caught his gaze running along the people waiting in line and realized, “Oh…If there are too many people there we’ll just skip it…”  
  
“No…” he mumbled. “It’s okay…I just…”  
  
“How about you wait there,” you pointed at a bench under a tree. “I’ll get us some…is there anything you’d prefer?”  
  
“Surprise me, I guess,” Kiyoomi shrugged and shuffled his way towards the tree to stand underneath it…there would be no way that he’d sit down on that germ-infested bench.

You smiled a little watching him shuffle off until you reminded yourself to get in line for the cooling drinks.

From the line, you were able to watch Kiyoomi, hunched against the bark of the tree, glaring from underneath his mask at the passengers that came too close for comfort. 

Which was everyone…..

Catching his gaze once or twice, you signed if he was okay…he nodded stiffly and continued watching the crowd.  
  
Kiyoomi, in public, without any of his usual gym clothes, was weird. He was dressed in cream-colored chinos, a white t-shirt, and thrown-over a dark blue jeans shirt. The sleeves rolled up a few times, showing his strong forearms. So casual and yet so good looking. Was that even allowed?

No. It was not…but he did it anyway…  
  
Since it had been a long time since you’ve gone out other than getting groceries.

You’d even decided to dress up a little yourself. It was July, and the humidity, thank god, was not too bad. You still decided on a pale yellow sundress and a short-sleeved cotton t-shirt paired with grey converse and a cross-body bag…and you had put on a little make-up.   
  
You ordered lemon and green tea with peach Bobas for Kiyoomi, and caramel coffee and chocolates Bobas for yourself, paid and returned to the tree where Sakusa was waiting for you.  
  
“Here you go,” you chirped, handing the drink (that reminded you of his dreadful high school jersey colors) and the unwrapped straw to him.  
  
“Coffee…again?” he glanced at the brown drink in your hand.  
  
“Please…this can’t be considered coffee,” you snorted, swishing the drink in small circles and stirred the straw.  
  
“Sure,” he snorted and raised an eyebrow. “It probably still tastes like scraped from the bottom of some witches’ cauldron.”  
  
“Wanna try It out?” you grinned, then bit your lip considering. “I haven’t tried it yet…so there should be no germs on the straw.”  
  
Kiyoomi paused and stared at the drink in your hand, then at you. 

He shrugged, pulled his mask down, and leaned over and down to take a sip from the Boba that was still in your hands.  
He was so close that you were able to smell the clean smelling cologne he was wearing, his curly locks barely brushing your forehead as he leaned down.  
  
“Yeah,” he voiced, tasting the drinks on his lips before stating, “Still tastes like coffee…not too bad though...I have to admit. Bet mine’s better.”

He busied himself with his own drink and sipped, relishing in the fact that he had somehow managed to short circuit your brain with his little gesture from before. 

You were still there, shocked like a deer in headlines while he sipped his drink, then offered it to you.

“Wanna try it out?” he retorted your own words to you, and grinned, shaking the drink so that the small bobas happily squished around in the liquid. “I might have already try it…but there should be no germs on the straw.”  
  
“I-m good, thanks,” you stuttered and took a big gulp of cold Boba to cool yourself down. “Shall…we…go on ahead…we need to buy a present for the Meian Baby…”  
  
“Lead the way…” Sakusa said and hid his one hand in his pocket again before he started walking closely behind you.

The two of you leisurely strolled along the shops, sipping your drinks and soon disposed of them in a bin.

As you come closer to the dense city center as you were anticipating the big children’s department and clothing store to get something for the Meian baby. 

Sakusa was probably still set on giving the poor child a chew toy…. or a year’s worth of Lysol.  
  
“I don’t know it I should go for clothing…. or something useful,” you considered. “They grow so fast out of their clothes so I think I’d be better if we got them something for when he’s a little bigger don’t you think? Yoomi? Kiyoomi`”  
  
You had been so distracted in your thoughts that you hadn’t realized that Kiyoomi was no longer behind you. Shit…You lost Kiyoomi in a crowd in the middle of the city…and he was probably freaking out.

Maybe you should call for help?

_Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. A little boy called Sakusa Kiyoomi is lost in the shopping district of Osaka, 6’2 ft. tall, dark curly hair, dark green eyes, and wears a mask and usually a brooding expression._   
_If you see him, don’t approach him directly as he might get a panic attack from anyone approaching him._   
_His guardian Y/N L/N is waiting for him at the children’s department store._

Yeah…that sure sounded like the right idea, you thought and hurried back to look for him, simultaneously calling him on your phone.

Luckily for you, he received the call after two rings.  
  
“Y/N…” he uttered, sounding surprisingly calm.  
  
“I’m so sorry Yoomi,” you yelped into the phone. “I should have paid more attention…where are you? Do you need help?”  
  
“…um…I don’t need help…and I can see you...” he stated after a short pause. “Can you see my hand?”  
  
You looked up behind a few people and saw a strong arm in the air. Sakusa was standing at the entrance of a small cosmetic and soap shop not far away.

You hung up the phone and hurried towards him.  
  
“So sorry!” you panted, catching your breath, leaning over your knees a bit as Kiyoomi watched you curiously. “Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m fine…” he shrugged, “I wanted to go inside the shop, but you were already far gone when I called after you…so I guessed I’d just call you when I was finished.”  
  
“Finished?” you questioned and stood up again. “With what?”  
  
Sakusa silently handed over a small turquoise shopping bag, tightened with a bow, and muttered, “I saw that your body wash is almost empty, so I thought to get you a new one…they didn’t have your old one…hope the scent is fine….”  
  
“Kiyoomi you bought me a body wash?” you wondered, eying the golden colored bottle in the bag curiously.  
  
“Caramel and lemon…” he shrugged and tugged the mask on his nose a little higher “I quite liked the smell…”

“Thanks…. but you didn’t have too” you muttered, biting your lip and looking up at him smiling.

“But I did…” he shrugged, then jokingly, added “I wanted to buy the kid something as well…so Meian-san wouldn’t have to deal with baby smell…. I thought of tropical island fusion.”  
  
“Thank god I’m with you….” You shook your head and hung the small bag on your wrist, then it hit you “you went in that shop by yourself? And bought something?”  
  
“Yes, I’m well, able and frankly old enough to be able to spend my own money,” Sakusa furrowed his brows. “What are you getting at?”  
  
“Do you need hand sanitizer?” you asked, already opening your cross-body bag to get out the one you always had in there.  
  
“Ahhh,” he chuckled quietly and pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding a brand new bottle from the shop behind him. “Got some of these as well…they are mint scented…”

Because…ofcourse he had.  
  
“Oh,” You said, flatly. “That’s good…I was just-never mind.”

You closed your bag again with a click and fumbled with the strap.

When you looked up at Kiyoomi again, the corners of his eyes were creased as if he was smiling, hard to tell under his mask.  
  
“Say…Y/N…were you worried about me?” he teased, his voice singing just the slightest bit and leaned towards you. His cologne more wafting over to you.  
  
Yes, you had been. You’d planned out all the approaches to a hysterical Kiyoomi in Osaka, how to avoid a larger crowd, and possible media coverage that could jeopardize his professional carrier. But he didn’t need to know that….  
  
“I thought I’d lost you,” you stammered. Wait…that came out the wrong way…” I mean…you could have gotten lost in the crowd…you know.”  
  
“Then how about we make sure that this doesn’t happen again?” he disclosed, got his hand out of his pocket, and enclosed it with yours. 

Your hand practically disappears in his. It sends tingles up your arms, and you gaped a little at him.  
  
“Freshly disinfected so there should be no germs there,” Kiyoomi divulged casually. “Lead the way Y/N…we need to buy that lifetimes worth of Lysol.”

You pulled him along, hands intertwined. His looming presence always a step behind your smaller statue. His presence tickling the hairs on your back, and you had an inkling that he was enjoying this way too much…. because why on earth couldn’t Kiyoomi walk beside you like a normal person. 

True, he would have to pass other passengers more. After all, it was easier for him to avoid people, with you bulldozing the way through the crowd. And he liked how your hand fit in his.

You kept your head bowed, giddily like a freaking middle schooler because you were holding hands with Sakusa Kiyoomi in public…although nobody seemed to care.

To be honest, they didn’t even know that it was him probably, and that was one of the reason’s he was not bombarded by his fangirls. But he’d never start something with them anyway…not that you’d know of.

The two of you had an unspoken rule about not bringing over significant others back to the apartment. You never actually spoken about it, but you knew that Kiyoomi had disliked it back in college whenever your two other roommates had someone stay the night and remembered that.

Yoshio had never complained about it, although he complained about plenty of other things. He liked his apartment better anyway because he’d never had to do the walk of shame…Why the heck were you thinking about him again?

You sighed passing a larger window display on your left.

But who said that Sakusa, on the nights you had shifts…or every time he was away on a game, didn’t have nightly visitors from fangirls…you would never know…

It never had crossed your mind before…. why the heck now. Why was your stomach churning just by the thought of it?  
  
“Y/N” a baritone voice and the stroke of Kiyoomi’s thumb against the back of your hand brought you back to reality.  
“We’ve just passed the store!”  
  
“Oh,” you looked back at the entrance that was decorated with colorful balloons. “Right…sorry…”  
  
Sakusa looked a little agitated as you approached the store, eying the small children that were currently pressing their noses flat against the shop’s window display, yelling at their parents to buy them the newest toy.  
  
“Hey… don’t judge them,” you chuckled “You, sir, have the same expression whenever you get a fresh pair of kneepads.”  
  
“I do not” he argued, judging one kid that was jumping up and down because of an electronic dart shooting dragon.  
  
“True…that expression is different…. this one is more whenever you watch a game from that Adler Team with the giant silent tank guy…” you chuckled and pulled him along.

“Yeah?” he grumbled “You always freak out over videos where people cut open other people.”

“Hush…now…” you pulled at his hand “People might think I’m a crazy Psychopath or something.”

“You’re a surgeon…it’s basically the same thing” he retorted and squeezed your hand

“This way…” you sighed and pulled him along into the store.  
  
The two of you quickly passed the toys on the ground floor and went up to the baby clothing section.  
  
It was much quieter here than where the toys were. Pastel-colored clothing everywhere and Sakusa felt like he was in an ice-cream shop rather than a baby boutique with all the cutesy sweets that were printed on the shirts. As you dragged him along once more, his eyes ran over the shelves, toys…noisy blinking stuff. Miniature mobile phones and…. wait…  
  
“Y/N” he said out loud and stopped in his tracks, your intertwined hands causing you to fall back a little “They do have chew toys!”  
  
You snorted at his expression and followed his gaze, then laughed, “These are toys for babies when they’re teething…Yoomi”  
  
“So…. chew toys right?”  
  
“Yeah…. practically…” you nodded “But you don’t want to get them one…do you?”  
  
“Don’t you think they’ll need something like that?” he argued, eying a toy that was shaped like broccoli.  
  
“In due time….” You commented, “The baby is just two months old…I sure hope he doesn’t have teeth yet”, Shuddering at the thought.  
  
“Why not?”

  
“Because it would really hurt, it Amaya-san is breastfeeding him” you said as a matter of fact and grinned at Kiyoomi’s shocked expression “No chew toy then?”  
  
“No..” he pressed “Let’s move on…clothes it is…”  
  
The two of you went to the clothing section, eying the baby clothes Kiyoomi wondered how in the hell the world could have people this small. He mentally measured one of the rompers against the length of his forearms….it was smaller.  
  
“What about these ones,” he gestured to a stack of small rompers with inscriptions on it.  
  
“Nice …but I’m afraid he might already be too big for those...” you stated, looking at the size “A bit basic too…”  
  
“Oh…sorry I’ll look for tuxedos next if these things are too basic” Sakusa laughed drily, and you couldn’t help but squeeze his hands a little to shut him up.  
  
“I was thinking more about one of these things,” you commented and gestured towards a few baby yukatas “It’s a classy thing, he’ll grow into it and he can wear it next summer. Imagine him, dressed up going to the summer festival trying cotton candy and all that?”  
  
“Excellent choice,” an elderly saleswoman suddenly appeared from the side smiling at you two “May I help you two sweeties?”  
  
“Thank you ma’am…so we’re looking for a light summer Yukata set for a boy….” You started eying the display further.  
  
“So for 3-4 months right?” the woman smiled and grabbed a few pieces to show them “Since you’re not showing yet…I assume you’re very early….so when is he due April?”  
  
“Pardon me?” you laughed nervously, missing the woman’s point, then the coin dropped “Oh…noo it’s not for me… I’m not….”  
  
“Oh…sorry…I just assumed that you and your husband!” she chirped, staring at you and Kiyoomi, then at the still intertwined hands.  
  
“He’s…not my husband!” you stammered, flaring up red, “I…he…”  
  
“Oh so sorry!” the woman smiled innocently. “I see there is no ring on your finger yet…. boyfriend then….”  
  
“I…he,” you stammered, then cleared your throat and started rambling.

“We’re looking for…a present for a son of friends of ours…he is two months old and I thought of a yukata for him to wear next year…since he’ll grow out a lot of clothes, rather quickly and there is nothing for the fall/winter season in stores yet…I just thought that we could buy something for next summer.”  
  
“Ah….” The woman nodded “I see…. then how about this black one….it comes with little fireflies…”  
  
“Maybe no bugs…” Sakusa commented. The woman sighed and showed them more pieces. “Red, with suns….green one with little giraffes….we also have sports pattern.”  
  
“Oh Yoomi look” your eyes suddenly lit up as you saw a navy yukata with a little volleyball pattern.” This is perfect.”  
  
“Yeah… it’s cute…I guess…” Sakusa eyed the set closer.  
  
“We also have a perfect toy to match, it’s a ball and a rattle in one “the woman pointed towards a shelf with differently shaped rattles. One of which resembled a yellow and navy Mikasa volleyball.  
  
“That’ll do...” he nodded “If you’d be so kind and pack these for us at the counter…”  
  
“Yes, sure…take your time” the woman beamed and skipped off, leaving the two of you alone in the baby clothes section.   
  
Weirdly quiet…avoiding gazes while still holding hands.  
  
“Um…sorry about that rant earlier….” You stuttered out first, “That woman kind of caught me off guard…”  
  
“No…need to apologize…” Kiyoomi stated softly, “She shouldn’t have assumed things….”  
  
“I don’t how…how she thought that I was pregnant” you nervously laughed, “Even if…. I would have been what a month at the latest to have a baby due in April…now that I think of that assumption was sort of creepy right? I have no signs of pregnancy what so ever”  
  
“You were glowing…” he suddenly revealed, and you felt his hand around yours starting to sweat a little “When you were talking about kids…your eyes were glowing….so excited she must have… guessed that.”  
  
“Oh…” you babbled, “Sorry…for that…Oh yeah and for making you uncomfortable…dragging you into this whole scene…with the being husband-boyfriend thing and stuff….I should probably let go of your hand anyways…you were really uncomfortable right…”  
  
“Y/N...”

“Anyways….people shouldn’t assume things…but you should give them signs…and holding hands well can be interpreted as such signs.”

“Y/N…”  
  
“Did I ever tell you about those two teenager’s in the ER that had superglued their hands together because they didn’t want the other to leave- I- “  
  
“Y/N! “he quickly grabbed your face with his other hand, effectively silencing you with his thumb on your lips, then quietly murmured, “You’re rambling.”   
  
He paused, stroking his thumb over your lips once, then pondered, “It’s okay……. we’re cool…okay?”  
  
“S-sure” you affirmed with a whisper, feeling your breath batter against his calloused fingertip. You voice a little tremulous under his touch.  
  
“Then we’re okay….” Sakusa agreed and used his index finger you slightly poke your cheek, then let go of your face. “Let’s go…”  
  
He said, and this time it was him tugging you with him through the shop by his hands.

You suddenly realized that Kiyoomi had not denied the fact that he was your boyfriend…not with the woman…not after…you two we’re cool…whatever being cool meant on a summer day like this.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOO? What you all think of the second chapter?
> 
> I don't know if part 5 will have 3 or 4 chapters in total...still considering I've already picked the lyric from the song I'll be using...so maybe 3....?? ( If i don't find another one)
> 
> Thanks for your support on this series. It would be awesome to hear from you in the comments or over my tumblr:
> 
> My username is deguddi.
> 
> Lot's of love


	3. Wishin' that you were mine, pull you in, it's alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You look weird mister!” he said up at him. “You’re tall…. you look like that villain in that new cartoon!”
> 
> “Ah…um cool…” Sakusa replied and wondered why this made the boy grin widely. 
> 
> “Y/N san looks like the pretty princess from my video game! You know?”
> 
> “Ah…cool?”
> 
> “That’s why I’m gonna marry her when I’m old enough,” he declared smugly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is inspired by a lyric from "Sofia by Clairo"

Thank you so much for coming!  
  
The employee at the counter said after she handed over the shopping bag to you. Neatly, wrapped the gift for the Meian-Baby was ready, and you and Sakusa were ready to head to the boutique from where he’d get his suit.

“Yoomi…I really think that we should split the bill…,” you once again said as the spiker shook his head slightly, his curls bouncing with the movement.

“I told you already I’m fine with paying” he shrugged. “You got us the Boba!”

“Well the drink was for us two…but I feel weird going to their party without really getting them anything,” you said and started to move towards the elevator.

“Y/N…you choose the gift and all…I just payed… it’s from both of us,” Sakusa shrugged and put his hand into the pockets of his hand. 

He watched you pressing the elevator button with your elbow and smiled because he noticed that it was a little thing you had picked up from him. You could have easily pressed the button with your fingers, and he wondered if you haven’t done it because you had been holding hands.

In fact, you weren’t holding hands anymore since he had to get out his wallet to pay…and Sakusa had to admit…he didn’t like the fact. He glanced at your hand, fingertips brushing the hem of your dress, and felt his own hand twitch.

He hesitated, remembering your statement of people wrongfully assuming things about you two because you were holding hands. Sakusa asked himself why he hadn’t spoken up when the woman thought that he was your boyfriend…was it only because he didn’t want to make a scene and get this shopping ordeal to be over asap?

No, it was not…secretly…and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep it secret anymore…he knew that his feelings for you were more than just platonic roommate stuff…and to be honest, it scared him.

He was selfish a lot of the time, and you were naturally so nurturing…he didn’t want to impose himself on you. Besides, you just got out of a relationship…that didn’t mean that you were free real estate…from what he’d gathered, you haven’t even really had the time to sort out your feelings over the break-up. Just went back to work and kept yourself busy… he’d tried to listen in if you’d cried over the tool at night…but no…there was nothing.

“Kiyoomi? Don’t you wanna come in?” you said from inside the elevator, a foot on the threshold to keep it from closing as Sakusa stood there.

“Ah…sorry…”  
  
  
You chuckled and gently stepped back to give him more space. “Daydreaming?”  
  
“Sort of…” he glanced at your hands. One was clutching the paper bags from the shops, but the one closest to him was hanging down. “That looks heavy…can I help you with that?”

“Actually it’s not- “You started but felt Kiyoomi’s pinky gently touch yours and bit your bottom lip, preventing your smile from growing too big, “Yeah…it’s pretty heavy…”

“Guessed so…” he mumbled and entangled his pinkie with yours. 

The elevator opened up with a ding and the noise of children looking for toys, and Sakusa once more mentally flinched, thinking of all the germs the kids would be carrying. He wished he could get a restraining order on everyone in here….

“Let’s get you out of here quickly.” You chuckled and once more wanted to take his hand fully,pull him along when a joyous scream reached your ears.

“L/N-SAN!” a flop of wild reddish-brown hair jumped towards you, hugging your legs with such a force you stumbled backward a few steps.

You were able to steady yourself enough to realize that the mop was a young boy around six years, who was currently burying his face into your midriff.

“Kojiro-chan!” another familiar voice, a little angry, reached your ears as you saw Temari Yusa, a senior nurse that worked at your hospital, dart out from an aisle. “Oh…. L/N-sensei!”

“See Kaa-chan I told you I saw L/N-san earlier,” Kojiro, said still clutching onto your waist and beamed up at you, showing you a smile. “I missed you!”

“Kojiro, it’s impolite to attack people like this,” his mother scolded him and bowed to apologize. “I’m so sorry about him…Kojiro come here!”

“But I wanna hug!” Kojiro complained and dug his nose into your stomach again.

“Kojiro Yusa!” his mom started, but you quickly waved her off.

“It’s all right, Yusa-san,” you said and detangled your hand from Sakusa to frist gently pat the young boys’ head, making him loosen his grip on you. Then knelt down and smiled up at him. “I don’t mind hugs.”

“YAY!” the boy exclaimed and tackled you once more, giggling happily.

Sakusa glanced down at that strange creature.   
Dressed in shorts and a Pokémon T-shirt, hair like a bird’s nest and a loopy grin, with his two upper front teeth missing, currently initiating physical contact with the same woman Sakusa had just (happily) been holding pinkies with.  
You were patting his back in soothing circles as you were asking about his day.

“I’m so sorry about him,” Kojiro’s mother, a woman who was significantly older than him said to Sakusa, with a small bow. “But he has a fondness for L/N-sensei… I’m Yusa, Temari…I work with L/N-sensei on occasion when she’s on my floor in general…you must be Sakusa-san?”

Sakusa was surprised to hear that this woman knew his name, so dumbstruck that he forgot to reply. He blinked at her and nodded. Yusa-san had her son’s reddish brown hair neatly kept in a bob.

“Yes…you definitely match her description of your…. say…you live together right?” she smiled in a way Sakusa was reminded of his mother. “Thank you for taking care of her, she works really hard.”

“Thank you for taking care of her when she is at work,” Sakusa replied adding a little bow “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

They both glanced at you and Kojiro interacting, him telling you about this action figure he was getting from this new cartoon, because he had finished all his summer homework early. His arms flailing around as he tried to describe the plot of the series to you, while you nodded serenely as you smiled brightly.

“And the cool thing is…that the main character has a big scar…. I mean he is just like me you know I also have a scar…. it’s tiny though,” Kojiro said and pulled up his t-shirt to reveal his belly to you. “Y/N-san could you maybe next time leave a bigger scar so I look cooler? The kids in my class didn’t even believe I had a dangerous surgery.”  
  
“Kojiro pull your shirt down!” his mother scolded him. “I’m so sorry L/N-sensei.”

You laughed heartily at Kojiro’s flustered face. “I’m glad your incision healed well Koji-chan!”

“Yeah, I even got to eat all the ice-cream I wanted after we got home! Just like you promised…. unfortunately, not anymore…so how about the bigger scar?”

“Ahhh…I don’t think you’ll need another surgery Koji-chan” you winked at the boy and stood up from your crouched position and ruffled his hair, winking at the boy. “And your Kaa-san is surely happy about it…”

Kojiro had been your first solo surgery. In the mid of June, he came in with stomach pain, and it turned out he had appendicitis. 

Since Yusa-san was a nurse in the hospital, this case hit close to home, and you had slightly been terrified when you got assigned the surgery. Frankly, she was a senior nurse, been working with patients longer than you…and one thing you knew from early on “Drink-your-respect-the-nurses-juice” when you start working.

“I’m still glad that it was you who got the surgery assigned, your hands hardly left a scar…he recovered very well,” Yusa-san nodded happily and smiled at her son’s muttered disappointment about the lack of scar. “I’m also glad to see you out once in a while…you kids need to get fresh air and see something more than just the inside of an operation room. Are you doing well?”  
  
“Yeah, I had some very nice Boba tea earlier…and we’re meeting friends for dinner,” you said, nodding towards Kiyoomi. “Friends or ours had a baby and we’re celebrating that…”

“Good to hear dear,” Yusa said to you gently squeezing your arm “And good to hear that you’re not crying after that awful boy…I really wanted to strangle Ritsu, she knew Yashio-sensei was dating you…”

“It takes two to tango,” you sighed “he knew it just like her…please don’t be too hard on her… I’m trying to keep it professional. We still have to work together…”

“Yes, but I want her to focus on work too and stop winging why Yashio-kun is not giving her attention.”

“Oh so they’re together?” you wondered. Wow…that was fast.

“From the whining I say…no…just you know…passionate hugging” Yusa said glancing at her son, who was busy gawking at Sakusa. 

“Oh...yeah…well…fine…” you shrugged, but couldn’t help but feel a little strange. How come he got over you so quickly?

“Don’t be sad about it,” Yusa smiled warmly and rubbed your upper arm. “You deserve much better than him…”

The senior nurse hid her smile as she glances at Sakusa, silently watching the conversation while also keeping an eye on Kojiro who was now glaring at Sakusa.

“You look weird mister!” he said up at him. “You’re tall…. you look like that villain in that new cartoon!”

“Ah…um cool…” Sakusa replied and wondered why this made the boy grin widely. 

“Y/N san looks like the pretty princess from my video game! You know?”

“Ah…cool?”

“That’s why I’m gonna marry her when I’m old enough,” he declared smugly.

Little toothless brat.

Sakusa decided he didn’t like the boy. He put his hands back into his pockets and glanced around, letting you converse with Yusa-san about some patient. 

“It’s just so hard to explain, to him that he can’t have chocolate, the poor thing.” Yusa nodded and gently squeezed your arm again.

“Yeah, I’ll get him something next time he’s in the hospital…I have a few ideas on what he’ll be able to snack on,” you smiled sadly.

“I know how hard it is for you,” Yusa said once more, gently rubbing your arm. “I think he’s coming in at the start of next week again…are you going to be on peds again?”

“Yes, in fact…I switched with Shirabu,” you nodded “he wanted to get more experience in general.”

“Oh Shirabu-sensei…good!” Yusa smiled. “One of the good ones! Anyway I don’t want to keep you two from your busy schedule any longer…say goodbye Koji-chan.”

“Bye Koji-chan!” the little boy grinned but added under the glare of his mother, “Bye villain-san, L/N-san!”

“Bye Kojiro,” you waved and were tackled once more by a surprisingly strong bear hug you gladly returned.

“You know…. Sakusa-san,” Temari Yusa said quietly to him, “I don’t usually try to pick favorites at work…but Y/n-sensei…is one of them….so if you dare and break her heart…”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Sakusa said and once more was reminded of his own mother, scolding him. Yep, Temari Yusa had the same energy…you better not mess with her.

“I sure hope so,” she said, then smiled. “Pleasure to meet you…Kojiro come on we need to pay for your toy!”

When they left, you turned to Kiyoomi, who was a little pale in the face.

“You okay? Did she say something to you?”

“Yusa-san….is a little intimidating don’t you think.” He confessed.

“She’s a senior nurse slash mama bear….” You agreed laughing, “That’s why I always say drink up your respect-the-nurses-juice. I like her though…shall we go then?”  
  
The two of you went to a small boutique at the other end of the shopping district, where the fancier shops were. Sakusa kept his hands in his pocket even after you quickly disinfected them after hugging Kojiro.

After all, Yusa-san had told you that the kid had a strange habit of licking his hands then ran them over things to claim them as his own.

However, Sakusa was a little on edge…he’d overheard a bit the conversation you had with Yusa-san about Yoshio and Nurse Ritsu, and he’d seen your face. You were still hurt, deep inside…and he hated the guy even more than before.  
…  
  
The boutique felt so fancy. You felt out of place with your yellow sundress and worn-out sneakers. Sakusa, on the other hand, looked like he could be a model for all of the clothing in there. 

So it was apparent that the middle-aged saleswoman who greeted them cheerfully immediately talked to Kiyoomi instead of you, who was trailing behind.  
  
“Good Morning, sir, miss what can I do for you today?”  
  
Sakusa quickly explained what he was looking for in a suit, and the saleswoman practically sparkled when she talked to him. 

You sighed walked along behind him.   
You knew that Kiyoomi had that effect on women, men everybody…must be his brooding, mysterious aura in public, his height and athletic figure, you kept yourself in the background.

“What do you think Y/N?” Kiyoomi questioned as the saleswoman showed him a suit of red velvet.

“It’s a little warm for summer don’t you think?” you started and looked over at the saleswoman that just noticed you. “And I don’t think that the colour would suit the occasion.”  
  
“We have the same one in a golden tone,” the saleswoman chirped. “Amazing with a black bowtie. Modern”  
  
“I’d rather go for something more decent….” Sakusa said, “Y/N is correct…I don’t want to be too flashy…. grey, blue and black.”  
  
“Dark green would suit you too…” you said and wondered why you’d spoken up.

Sakusa glanced at you for a moment, then nodded “Yes, dark green is fine too.”  
  
“But a man with your build can try to be a little more adventures.” The saleswoman said then reminded herself, “Right, sorry about that…. I’ll get some pieces for you to try on…. please follow me to the dressing room.”  
  
“If you want and if you’re bored you can take a look around…there are some nice dresses over there” Kiyoomi nodded towards the women’s section, but you shook your head.

“Naaa,” you smiled, “I’d rather make sure that you don’t end up in a multicolored check suit with rhinestones…”  
  
“Well thank you for that Y/N,” Sakusa muttered, amusement tinting his tone, and moved along.  


“How do I look?” Sakusa said after he’d tried on another suit, smirking under his mask because of your reaction.

You were sitting in an armchair in front of the changing room, Kiyoomi’s jean jacket draped over your lap, and couldn’t stop staring. 

What to answer. It was simple, he looked good. He looked good in every damn piece he tried on. He had first changed into a crisp white dress shirt, then had tried on several dark suits, with different cuts…but the last one was the best.

“This one is really nice…” you nodded at the suit he was currently wearing, simple such a dark green it looked black, with a lighter lapel collar. “It’s the perfect match between elegant and simple but fashionable…”  
  
“Alright, “he simply stated tugging at the hem of his cuffs, “If you say so…this one it is…”

He glanced at himself once more in the mirror, then swished his hair back and and slid out of the jacket draping it over his arm. “Would you like to try on something Y/N?”  
  
“Um…. I don’t think the suits would fit me,” you smiled and caught him shaking his head.  
  
“I mean some of the dresses…” he gestured towards the women’s section of the boutique.  
  
“I don’t think that I’ll have any opportunity to wear a dress like these ones in the near future…besides they’re too expensive anyway and..” you stumbled, but Sakusa just looked at you and blinked, his eyes creasing a little, Was he smiling?  
  
“Just…humor me….” He stated, and you sighed in a little exasperation.  
  
“Fine! But only because we have time left before the dinner,” you stated, gave Sakusa back his jean jacket, and got up to roam over some dresses in the corner.   
  
Soon you were joined by the same sales assistance that had helped Sakusa. 

She was beaming at you, probably because she thought the two of you would leave an amount of money at the store today.  
  
“Your boyfriend asked me to help you pick some items for you to try on…so what’s your favorite style?” she asked. “It’s for a formal even right?”  
  
“Um… he’s not my boyfriend,” you stuttered, cursing yourself for feeling a little flushed from this statement, but the saleswoman nodded.  
  
“Ahhh…I see early stages of relationship…you have not yet put labels on each other I see….” She nodded enthusiastically. “How about you choose one style and I’ll give you three other options to choose from into the cabin…”  
  
“Right…. you do that...” you said and picked a random red dress that turned out to have such a plunging neckline that you didn’t even try it on. 

The saleswoman gave you another dress through the curtain, and you slid it on while she stated getting more dresses for you.  
  
Sakusa sat in the same armchair you’d been sitting in before, a little amused at the fact that you were so anxious about the whole dress ordeal. So much so that you’d probably had not taken another look at the first dress with the deep neckline.

The next dress that the saleswoman gave you was in a purple shade, and he heard you shuffling behind the curtain. Probably changing into it but didn’t hear anything else after the woman left for another dress. 

Until he head you curse under your breath.  
  
“Y/N? he asked and stood up from the chair. “You okay in there…?”  
  
“I’m fine…” your pressed voice could be heard from the changing room. “It’s just…”  
  
You paused, and Sakusa sighed a little “You have to either be a little more eloquent with your words or show me what’s wrong with it…”  
  
Your stupid brain decided to do the latter. You pulled aside the curtain with a little gusto and faced Sakusa, whom you didn’t expect to stand so close to the dressing room.   
Letting out a shriek, you stumbled, tripped on the train backwards but Sakusa quickly grabbed your arms before any significant accident could happen.  
  
Sakusa looked down, you were so close now. 

The dress was purple and long, reaching down to the floor right now since you didn’t have heels on. It has an asymmetrical strap and a long slit for your leg on the same side. On the opposite side, the dress presented a lot of skin due to a cutout. 

His hand gently ran down your arms while his eyes glanced over you, your exposed skin in places that almost teased to be touched.

He tried to keep his eyes from the skin exposed through the cutout. Once more, he saw your ribcage tattoo. More clearly, this time. His eyes glanced over the numerals trying to memorize them

XX.IV.MM-XV.X.MMVIII  
  
“Um…” you mumbled crossing your arms in an attempt to hide it “This dress..”  
  
“What about it?” he said, glancing up at your eyes, which now darted along his arms, his hand still steadying you. 

He was still wearing the white dress shirt he wore while trying on the suits and the muscles on his forearms were flexed and prominent.  
  
“Well…. you gulped… it’s a little too much isn’t it…the slit, the cutout…the freaking colour?”  
  
“Purple is nice,” Kiyoomi stated and was tempted to touch the fabric? I was shiny…silk maybe? He wondered how it felt on you.  
  
“I look like a plum!” you stated, grumbling looking down the bright color.

Sakusa blinked at you, snorted coving it with the back of his hand. He chuckled then said with a shrug “Nothing bad about that. I happen to like plums…”

Kiyoomi then shrugged with a grin. “But I think something more elegant would suit you better…”

He glanced at the dressed that were hanging in the room and casually took them off the hook. “These won’t do…just wait here…alright?”  
  
He took the dresses back to the saleswoman, who was loading a shocking pink dress onto her arms; she smiled brightly, although her tone clearly was laced with disappointment. “Oh…she didn’t like them? Do you think she’d like this one….”  
  
“I believe she’d look better in something…more decent and elegant…” Sakusa said, “It’s a classy black tie event…formal dinner.”  
  
“Ah…right…I overheard something about a charity?” the woman nodded and put back the dresses. “She told me not to look for pricey dresses.”

“The price doesn’t matter,” Sakusa declared.  
  
“…I think I might have some dresses over here that are not too crazy…” she showed him a particular dress, and Sakusa nodded approvingly.

….  
  
You were standing in the dressing room in your underwear, not sure if more dresses were coming or if you should just put on the sundress again and run out of the store asap.  
  
“L/N-san?” the sales assistant said in front of the cabin. “Here another one….”

She held in a golden sequined gown. It was beautiful, you had to admit, as you looked before you took it off the hanger and slid into it.   
The dress felt right…nestled at all the right places on your body, soft on the inside while the sequins and pearly beads sparkled on the outside. It had a sweetheart neckline not too deep, and short off shoulder flutter sleeves.  
  
You looked at yourself in the mirror and had to say…. you felt pretty. You at tugged the thin beaded straps that held the dress up for you.   
  
“Y/N?” Sakusa’s soft voice called you, “Are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet in there?”  
  
“I’m….um…”  
  
The saleswoman peeked in to look at you, grinned, and opened the curtain, clapping her hands. “Ohh…yesss!”  
  
You turned and glanced at Sakusa, who was leaning against the armrest of the chair, still dressed in the white shirt. Crossed arms in those rolled up sleeves. 

He looked at you for what felt like an eternity. His gaze calm and you could swear you heard him take a deep breath. 

As he looked at you, his hand went up to his chin, a curled finger resting lips that were under his mask.

He didn’t say anything.

Just looked at you, eyes trailing up and down your body, a strange gleam in his eyes.  
  
“Does it look weird?” you wondered and glanced at yourself in the bigger mirror outside and ran your hands over your sides. “It does look…. weird… doesn’t it?”  
  
“I think you look sooo good!” the saleswoman enthusiastically said. “Now with hair tied up like this, and some earring and maybe a small necklace…” She babbled, tugging the dress in place, flaring the train out.

Your hands once more ran over your sides, brushing the zipper with the price tag. Promptly biting lips and gulped at the numbers on it….  
  
“Ah…noo way,” you chuckled and moved to go back to the dressing room again. “I mean I won’t have a possibility to wear this dress anyway…so…this was fun and all…but…yeah…. we better get going.”  
  
As you made your way back to the dressing room, Sakusa waved over the sales assistant, that looked a little crestfallen at your retreat.  
  
“That one…” he said quietly to the lady, who immediately started smiling again.  
  
“Excellent choice sir…” she beamed, “It won’t even need alterations…”  
  
“Good.” He stated, “I’ll pick up my suit with the alteration and the dress in a few days… take my card…I’ll pay now…but don’t let her know…. Oh…and I’m also keeping this on.”  
  
He gestured to the dress shirt and handed the woman the tag, “Kindly wrap my other clothes in a bag.”

“Sure thing” the woman smiled brightly. She returned quickly with his card and small bag in which Sakusa put his jean jacket and the receipt, and waited for you to come out of the dressing room.

You had decided to put your hair up in a ponytail because you felt a little flushed. This whole ideal had been very strange.

“Ah…Y/N,” Sakusa said and pushed off the armchair “Ready?

“Yeah…” you said brushing away small glittery particles off your sundress “Ready when you are…”

“Alright little plum, “ Sakusa said and extended his hand for you. “Let’s get going.”  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support on this series. I never thought that I would get this big <3
> 
> To the ones of you that were confused by the suffix sensei. I've read somewhere that doctors in Japan are called   
> Lastname-sensei as a form of respect.
> 
> I wonder if you have noticed the little Easter egg I put in the story.... ;D Y/N has a very nice colleague don't you think?


	4. I'm in a field of dandelions Wishing on every one that you'll be mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, he actually was…is a total nerd,” you said, laughing. “We lived close by and sometimes when I got home from after school tutoring, him and a teammate of his were on the same subway as me….I saw plenty of girls stalking them….anyway….where are we heading?”
> 
> “To the restaurant,” Sakusa said plainly.
> 
> “Oh really, I just thought you enjoyed frolicking down a street in this heat” you grinned and looked back at him.
> 
> “I don’t frolic….”
> 
> “Prance?”
> 
> “Are you having a heatstroke Y/N?”
> 
> “Probably having a down from lack of caffeine and sugar,” you said, checking the watch on your wrist, “and I’m a little tired, which…if you don’t know makes me a wee bit delusional.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> titile inspired by : ruth b.-dandelions

The city was getting busier as the day passed by, high schoolers filled in with the early afternoon shoppers, their uniforms standing out, and you reminiscent about your own high school experience back in Tokyo.  
You shuddered, several embarrassing memories you didn’t even remember having come to your mind.

“You’re not cold are you?” Kiyoomi’s voice reached your ear. He was casually walking a step behind you, mindful so the two of you didn’t block too much space. The only thing connecting you was your entwined hands.

“No…just thought of High School…” you shrugged, “I just felt second-hand embarrassment for my past self…”

“Ah…. that bad?”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t know that right? Mr. High-School-Heartbreaker,” you smiled, squeezing his hand.

“Pff…yeah right,” Sakusa scoffed, and although you couldn’t see it, you were sure that he was rolling his eyes behind you.

“Yes, right …. Komori-kun has told be plenty of times about all the confessions you got, Mr. High-School-Ace. Especially after you became Captain…” you smiled, remembering that time Komori dished out all the juicy gossip that time he came over to your apartment. “But you rejected all of them…. soo Heartbreaker. Must be a Volleyball Captain thing…I remember our school captain left several girls with broken hearts…”

“Yours too?” Sakusa inquired, weirded out about the tone you were using. Did he hear fondness out of you?

“No, he actually was…is a total nerd,” you said, laughing. “We lived close by and sometimes when I got home from after school tutoring He and a teammate of his were on the same subway as me, they lived close by….I saw plenty of girls stalking them….anyway….where are we heading?”

“To the restaurant,” Sakusa said plainly.

“Oh really, I just thought you enjoyed frolicking down a street in this heat” you grinned and looked back at him.

“I don’t frolic….”

“Prance?”

“Are you having a heatstroke Y/N?”

“Probably having a down from lack of caffeine and sugar,” you said, checking the watch on your wrist, “and I’m a little tired, which…if you don’t know makes me a wee bit delusional.”

“Yes, I recall your weird obsessions of trying out grilled cheese sandwich recipes in the middle of the night back in college,” Sakusa smiled.

“P-lease,” you protested, popping the p on the word, “you enjoyed my cheese sandwiches. It was the only decent thing we had because Hanataro and Misaki couldn’t cook…and you were too busy training.”

“Yes, and thanks to you our lord and savior we ate grilled cheese sandwiches at 3am for dinner because you had no idea that it was already that late”

“I was busy studying….at least one of us did,” you said, the end of the sentence turning into a yawn.

“We could head home if you’re tired….” Sakusa said, softly stopping in his track, making you stop too.

“Naa…” you said and tilted your head a little to the side. “I’m good… I’m actually looking forward to this dinner….and besides, we have bought a present.”

So Sakusa lead you down the streets until he stood in front of a restaurant that looked as if it was newly refurbished or, if not…was really orderly. You didn’t catch the name of the restaurant, written boldly above the door, because a notice at the door caught your attention.

_Dearest Customers,_

_Our establishment will be closed off for a private function tonight._  
_We’ll be happy to have you as our honored guest from tomorrow again._  
_Thank you very much. OM_

Ah, so it was a private function, of course…it would have been quite an uproar of fans if the MSBY Players were spotted in a random restaurant downtown.

Kiyoomi pushed open the door with his shoulder and waited for you to get in first.

“Oh… I’m sorry we’re closed for a private function,” a waitress with a short blonde bob said to you, then faltered as she eyes Kiyoomi curiously.

“It’s alright Fuyumi, they’re part of the private function,” another, this time manly voice said from behind the counter, and you noticed the faint Kansai dialect.

“We’re a little early…sorry about the inconvenience,” Sakusa said, putting both of his hands in his pocket, watching you. Amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth, hidden well behind his mask.

Your eyes stared at the person behind the counter. An imposter…a clone?  
Who had given Atsumu Miya a bottle of black hair dye?

“I think we haven’t met,” the Miya imposter said with a smile. “I’m Miya Osamu…. I’d like to properly introduce myself but I’m afraid my hands are a little bit sticky with rice.”

“Miya-san has a twin?” you wondered. “I’m Y/N L/N….”

“Yes….” Kiyoomi said, “Osamu is the better one…”

“I’m flattered…” Osamu grinned and gestured for them to sit down. “Fuyumi was so kind to wipe down the tables again…specially for you Sakusa-san…please make yourself comfortable L/N-san.”

“Thanks, but I’m pretty confident that you keep your restaurant clean, in opposition to your dear brother you have a concept of hygiene.” Sakusa muttered, and his hand hovered slightly on the small of your back, leading you to the end of the table, then pulled out one of the chairs.

“Could I offer you something to drink?” Osamu Miya said, handing over the menu card.

“Y/N probably is craving a coffee right now…. aren’t you?” Sakusa smiled as he tugged off his mask, shoving it into his pocket.

You grinned and nodded. “Black please….and one boring plain water for Mr. Volleyball player.”

“Right…healthy stuff…” Osamu grinned and started prepping the drinks and lightly conversed with you.

Soon the other members of the MSBY Jackals came in, Inuaki, Barnes, Thomas, Bokuto dragging Akaashi with him. Finally, Hinata and Atsumu Miya immediately started bickering with his twin brother.

“Y/N-san!” Hinata greeted you happily, crushing you in a hug. “Glad you could make it….Omi-senpai never brings you around.”

“I hardly have time to go out anyway Shoyo-kun,” you smiled. “Nose all healed up?”

“Yeah… didn’t have any problems at all…although Tsumu didn’t let me ride my bike for the next week…” Hinata pouted as he plopped down on a seat across from you, then spotted Akaashi next to Sakusa and greeted him happily.

“Samu….you suck!” Atsumu Miya yelled over to his brother as he plopped down next to Hinata. “Hey Doc… how’s it going?”

“Miya…” you nodded. “I didn’t know you had a brother…and so well behaved.”

“Only in front of others he is,” Atsumu muttered and glanced at you. “Looking good, doc…. I believe I’ve never seen you in a dress before?”

“Thanks, I guess…I just felt like wearing one today…” you shrugged and peeked at the menu, with lots of variety of Onigiri and different rice dishes. “All of those look good…Yoomi do you have a recommendation.”

“I quite enjoyed that katsudon last time,” Sakusa glanced at the menu. “I might try the beef today…”

“Uhh…yeah I was thinking of getting that one too…” you said, glancing at the description of the gyodon.

“How about you take the beef and I’ll have the chicken and we’ll share,” Sakusa suggested casually, “So you can check out both….”

“Oh…yeah fine by me.” You said, putting down the menu and taking a sip from your coffee.  
Eyes closed as you tasted the aroma of the beans on your tongue, you didn’t saw the silent conversation Sakusa and Miya were having over the table.

Miya smugly grinning at Sakusa, who’d raised an eyebrow. Miya’s eyes darting between the two of you as he raised his eyebrows. Sakusa scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and sipped on his water. Atsumu, still smirking, snickered and drew his attention to Hinata next to him, who talked to Thomas in English, trying to follow their conversation.

“Hey…thanks for coming!” a loud voice exclaimed, and the party glanced at the door where the Meians just came in, Amaya wheeling in a stroller. “Sorry for the wait, Ikuto was a little grumpy so we couldn’t leave.”

He beamed as Amaya got out the little baby, who, although being this small, proceeded to glare at every person in the room.

“Damn Cap,” Atsumu Miya laughed, “Little Meian definitely got his father’s stare down…Congrats! Good job Amaya-san.”

“Thanks Atsumu,” Amaya laughed proudly and smiled at them all. “Thank you for coming…I really appreciate it…. Shugo?”

She said and held out the baby to his father, who could cradle him in one arm and showed him off to Inuaki and Barnes first.

Amaya, on the other hand, came up to you, hugging you from behind.

“I’m so happy to see you Y/N-Chan!” she smiled. “I was wondering how’d survive the evening with this much testosterone in the room…”

“Glad to be your estrogen buddy Amaya-san,” you laughed and patter her arm. “Are you doing fine? Good recovery?”

“Yes, thanks…but I’m bored out of my mind,” Amaya admitted and sat down on the chair next to you. “It feels like ages since I’ve been out…but I guess you’re in a similar boat as me busy as you are…. how are things at the hospital? Chosen a specialty yet?”

“Yes, actually… I’m considering going for Pediatric surgery…” you said, tugging at the hem of your dress that had shifted up your thighs. “Our hospital has a great program and I can get double certified with both pediatrics and pediatric surgery…”

“So you’re becoming a foot doctor?” Bokuto, who’d listened in on your conversation, yelled over Akaashi and Sakusa to join in. The two dark-haired males leaning back in their chairs so they’d not be spat on. “That’s cool because I have this ingrown toenail that….”

“Kou…pediatrician are doctors for children,” Akaashi said softly with a little smile.

“Oh….so you can’t look at my toenail.” Bokuto’s mood dropped.

“Um…I might,” You chuckled nervously. “But um… I’d refer you to a specialist on that…”

“You don’t need to do that L/N-san,” Akaashi replied, smiling, “Pediatric surgery is, I assume a tough job…you must have very fine hands for that…”

“I guess…” you shrugged, looking at your hands. “I mean yes… it’s very delicate work…. but it’s worth it…”

You smiled and caught up in a conversation about your life in the hospital with Akaashi and Amaya.

Sakusa listened in quietly, watching you interact with the two, and glanced down at those hands that did such delicate work. The same hands he’d been holding all day and felt immense pride as you recalled your first solo surgery about that stupid gremlin from the toy shop.

“Omi-Omi!” the teasing tone of Atsumu caught his attention again. The setter was once again smirking at him. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Shove it Miya…” Sakusa muttered, “Go annoy someone else…”

Atsumu bellowed a laugh then yelled, “Y/N-Chan! Since this is a special occasion… let’s have a drink… I’ll pay for the first round!”.

“Thanks…but I’m on call this night,” you said. “And I don’t enjoy hangovers as much as you do Miya-san.”

“I only love them because you tend to patch us up doc,” Atsumu said, then turned to Sakusa. “Omi-Omi…yer drinking right?”

“No...way… I’m driving,” Sakusa stated, “and don’t call me that!”

“Booo,” Atsumu exclaimed. “Why don’t you let the precious Doctor drive and enjoy yerself…I mean only if you trust ‘er enough to let her drive that precious Lexus of yers.”

“I trust her enough to do that…but I’m still not drinking with you!” Sakusa said and remembered the last time Miya had convinced him to drinks.

It had ended with him Bokuto and Miya in the apartment, you have to put IV’s in and him…. he vaguely remembered running his hands through your hair in his drunken state.

“C’mon Omi-senpai!” Hinata said, being nudged by Atsumu, “It can’t be a celebration of Ikuto-chan if we’re not partying!”

“Yes…Sho is right Omi-omi,” Atsumu said. “Y/n-chan can take you home after…right?”

“Uh…yeah sure,” you shrugged, dunking the rest of your coffee, “If you don’t mind me driving Yoomi.”

“Why is she allowed to call you that but I’m not allowed to call you Omi-Omi? Omi-Omi?” Miya pouted.

“Because she at least asked you dingus” Sakusa sighed and covered his eyes with his hands.

“Can I call you Omi-Omi?”

“No”

“It’s decided then!” Atsumu exclaimed then yelled out, “Oi SAMU, get yer ass over here and get our orders yer scrub!”

Osamu and the nice waitress came over and got all of their wishes. Meian made his round showing off the baby to everyone to finally drop him in his mother’s arms.

You and Hinata immediately cooing over the baby, Hinata making faces trying to get it to give a reaction.

Sakusa looked at the baby. Little Ikuto Meian had a professional pokerfaced. It looked like he understood everything his father was discussing. It was…cute…he guessed…but didn’t get the whole fuzz over the baby. Weren’t small children designed to look like that? The I’m cute, so don’t-eat-me tactic.

“Y/N-san…. please can you get a picture of me, Amaya-san and Ikuto-chan?” Hinata threw his phone at you and ran around the table to stand behind Amaya, holding a peace sign. Then giving her a small, poorly wrapped present.

“It’s from Tsumu and I,” Hinata said as Amaya unpacked the gift, a romper designed miniature MSBY Jackals jersey with Meians number and a gift card for a baby store.

“Thank you so much Shoyo-kun!” Amaya said, smiling at the gift and showing it off to Meian from across the table.

Hinata kept making faces at the baby, probably trying to make it laugh, but Ikuto eyes the orange-haired man suspiciously. You watched in amusement as the human tangerine jumped up and down in his hoodie and noticed that you recognized the logo.

“Shoyo-kun is that a Bouncing Ball Corp Hoodie you’re wearing?” your inquiry caught his attention and caused Hinata to stop up and down in excitement.

“You know Kenma’s company Y/N-san?” he grinned brightly. “Are you a Kodzuken fan?”

“Oh you’re on first name basis with Ken?” you wondered. “That’s rare…”

Hinata blinked at you for a minute. “Wait…a minute…you too called him by his first name! He was my sponsor during my time in Brazil…and we’re friends since first year of high school.”

“And we,” you said, chuckling at his excitement, “went to high school together…we were in the same year at Nekoma.”

“I didn’t know you were a Nekoma student Y/n!” Hinata exclaimed loudly, “So if you know Kenma…you must know Kuroo too.”

“Tetsu? That old nerd?” you laughed and swirled your empty cup of coffee around. “Yes…indeed that corrupt old capitalist used to tutor me in Chem…we lived close by and my elder brother was on the Volleyball team with him.”

“Really? I don’t remember a L/N on the Nekoma team,” Hinata wondered, “Is he older?”

“Yes…he was already in third year when Tetsu joined the club,” you said, recalling your Aniki telling you about that weirdly tall first-year kid.

“I didn’t know you had a brother doc,” Atsumu said, putting a hand on his chest. “My condolences…I know the pain of havin’ a sibling.”

He promptly was smacked in the head by Osamu, who appeared with the food, Fuyumi bringing the drinks.

“Did you know that she has a brother Omi-senpai?” Hinata ignored the twins’ bickering with a smile and snatched some tuna off Atsumu’s plate.

“Of course I do…I met him once,” he said and sipped his water, then proceeded to grab his chopsticks.

He and Chiaki met one time when he’d come over to check on you during college, soon after he’d first met you. The two of you had fought over something, and since then, you kept your relationship to occasional phone calls.

“He works back in Tokyo as a lawyer,” you answered Hinata’s question. “We don’t talk that much anymore…just too preoccupied with our lives I guess.”

Sakusa glanced at you. True, you hardly talked with your family back in Tokyo. He recalled the almost icy way in which you interacted with them on your college graduation and the white coat ceremony he was invited to. Your brother had been there too…the second time he’d met him when he looked at the watch on your wrist, Sakusa had gifted to you that morning and asked out loud if it was a fake.

He couldn’t stay long, since his own family wanted to meet him for dinner that evening. It was his graduation, too…and he had an annoying family business to attend to as well.

Later that night, the two of you sat in your flat kitchen, drinking wine, avoiding the weighty topic of strange family relationships. It was on that day, where it was just the two of you since your flatmates were out partying when he’d asked you to keep up this roommate thing after graduation.

In your drunken state, the two of you started apartment hunting on the internet, and per cheer luck, the two of you got to visit the apartment you lived in now the very next day.

“So Y/N you’re the youngest in yer family?” Atsumu, who’d finished fighting with his own brother, asked and glanced at the lack of tuna on his plate in wonder. “It doesn’t feel like yer a little sister…. I mean Sho has a little sis and she’s a handful…”

Wait, two Hinatas? Can earth handle two suns? You chuckled then proceeded to answer.

“I’m actually the middle child…” you distracted yourself with the steam that puffed up from your rice dish.

Sakusa noted that you were clenching your chopsticks a little tighter.

“Really? Another sibling?” Hinata smiled. “That’s great…are you closer with your younger sibling? Brother or sister?”

“Brother…” you said and felt the coarseness of the chopstick under your fingers. “and…he…we…we were pretty close…yes…”

Sakusa halted in his movements and observed you from the corners of his eyes. He had no clue what was happening, heck he didn’t even know about that little brother that suddenly turned up in the conversation. You never talked about him…Ever…

What was going on? Why were you trembling a little?

“Y/n…” he tried to get your attention, softly putting a hand on your shoulder before turning to his food again.

“Here try the chicken,” Sakusa said and put some of the meat on his chopsticks and held it up for you. “It’s really good.”

“Um…” You looked at him, distracted by your own thoughts, and first didn’t get what he was initiating.

“Take a bite?” Sakusa stated, holding out the chopsticks a little closer as you gently ate the meat

“Hold up!” Atsumu said, “Don’t make any sudden movement Yoomi, sharing food from his chopsticks? Are you okay dude?”

“Tsk…” Sakusa said and continued eating his food. “Don’t call me dude!”

“It’s really good,” you agreed and snatched a few more pieces of meat off his plate with your own chopsticks.

You continued talking to Amaya over stuff he didn’t understand, something medical about her birth aftercare…he didn’t really want to know about sutures and the exact details of Ikuto’s birth. The kid was there that was good.

They were halfway through their food when Ikuto started complaining. Amaya excused herself to another table to feed him. You decided to give her some company and left your half-eaten food at the table.

Sakusa remained quiet, listening to Meian, who was talking about their upcoming training camp trip, some details he’d finalized again and dreaded the fact that he might end up with Bokuto as his roommate since Atsumu was insisting that he and Hinata shared a room.

“I’m already sorry in Advance Sakusa-san,” Akaashi said to him with a smile, reading his expression. “I’ll try to make him more cleanly… don’t worry I have my ways…”

“I’m very clean Keiji!” Bokuto whined, “You saw how clean my apartment was when you came visit after your trip from Europe!”

“Kou…. stuffing all the trash into one room and locking it is not cleaning,” Akaashi sighed.

“Your fault for leaving me here in Japan when you’re overseas…” Bokuto cried out and stuffed his face with rice.

“Where have you gone this time Akaashi?” Hinata asked, “Bokuto-san always forgot the name of the country when I asked him…”

“It was Romania right?” Bokuto smiled brightly.

“No….” Akaashi sighed. “I was in Rome Kōutarō…for research purposes. Our team is thinking of bringing out a manga about a dystopian world, based on ancient Roman gladiators and a fight to the death with only one surviving…”

“Isn’t he smart,” Bokuto beamed at Akaashi “My Keiji, is so damn smart he can even read those strange marks…”

“Numerals Kōutarō,” Akaashi sighed and bit into another Onigiri.

A sudden thought came up in his head. Sakusa hesitated…maybe he’d get an answer to a question he’d had for quite a while now…you had roman numerals tattooed on your skin…and he’d always wondered what they meant…. There was the option of simply asking you…but Sakusa had no idea how to…

Hey, Y/N… I’ve been wondering about that Tattoo you have…you know on your skin, on your ribcage…which I try not to stare at because it’s such a private spot on your body…. because I’m totally not checking you out…what does it mean?

“Akaashi…could you maybe tell me what a specific numeral means if I write it down?” Sakusa suddenly asked. His curiosity taking overhand.

“Sure…I can try,” Akaashi said and grabbed a pen from his jacket pocket and handed it to him. Sakusa took the cardboard coaster from under his empty water glass and wrote the numerals down as well as he could remember.

Akaashi looked at the numbers for a minute, without talking…thinking in his head, but he had a poker face the whole time.

“Where did you see that number Sakusa-san…” Akaashi slowly said.

“Um…in a...” he wondered, trying to come up with an excuse that didn’t shout out the real thing to his teammates.

Hey, check out Y/n has a tattoo on her ribcage. You can only see when she is dressed very sparely. “On TV?”

Akaashi glanced at him, raising a brow, then slowly said, “Sorry… can’t translate it… it’s rather difficult…” His eyes darted around Bokuto, Miya, and Hinata, who were all listening in curiously, then back to Sakusa, clearly stating. I know…but I won’t tell you out loud.

You and Amaya returned, chatting happily, and Meian’s wife put the baby, which was now sleeping, in his stroller and shoved it in the direction of his father.

“Shugo, I’m going out to hit that shop...I need to buy some things from the convenient store down the road …Ikuto is sleeping so it shouldn’t be an issue… I’ll be back,” she said, giving him a kiss and grabbed her purse from under the trolley.

Meian blinking at his wife in wonder, “You’re going alone?”

“Yes…this is long awaited me time…Y/N offered to go with me but I really need some time for myself…even if it’s shopping…be right back.”

She waved and dashed out the door.

“Why do I have an inkling that you convinced her to do that?” Kiyoomi smiled as you sat back down and resumed eating your food.

“Because I did…” you grinned. “She’s been stuck at home with an infant…she needs some me time… it’s healthy… She’ll go for a walk grab some Boba and will be right back…”

“Ah…the Boba shop of course…” Sakusa smiled.

“You’ve checked it out Omi-Omi?” Atsumu asked, “Any good?”

“We’d one earlier today…it was nice, “Sakusa said, swirling his bottle around.

“You were out shopping….in public…no online?” Atsumu blew a whistle and put down his beer “Damn Y/N…is that yer influence?”

“Actually Yoomi convinced me to go to the city…” you stated after chewing your rice dish.

“Ah…okay…so he asked you out on a shopping date then” Hinata nodded. “But shopping is so boring.”

“That’s because you live in gym clothes, my hoodies and the stuff your oh so dear sponsor friend sends you…” Atsumu muttered, pouting a little at last “So yer went shopping…was it for this gala charity thing we have to do? Yer were blabbering about that during practice Omi-Omi…”

“Yes, we- I got a suit from there…” Sakusa said, side-eyeing you carefully, but you were too preoccupied with your food to notice him or the smirk Miya had once again on his face.

“You know that we’re allowed to have a plus one on that-“he started, but Sakusa quickly interrupted him by saying.

“I hope this event turns out better than the one where you fell down the stairs Atsumu. In front of all the fans….?”

“OH yeah, that was hilarious!” Shoyo laughed out loud, leaning his forehead into Atsumu’s shoulder, the blonde setter muttering curses but patted Hinata’s orange hair softly.

The situation was so bizarre that even Sakusa’s lips twitched into a smile. You glanced at him. His expression was softer than you’d have thought. He didn’t admit it, but he liked his teammates, even Miya, and yes, Kiyoomi had a big soft spot for Hinata.

You wanted to jump on the let’s-tease-Atsumu wagon, but the ringing of your phone interrupted you. Shirabu was calling. Weird…was something wrong in the hospital…but why didn’t your pager ring?

“Yes… what’s up,” you said and swiftly stood up from the chair.

“Is that that ex of hers?” Hinata asked Sakusa in concern, “I thought you said she’d blocked him?”

“It’s her colleague,” Sakusa said and glanced at you, cross-armed and tapping your foot, grim expression. It seemed pretty serious, from the way you were biting your bottom lip.

“That pretentious little crusty Fucker!” the team heard you curse so loudly that everyone whipped their head around. “That frothy dizzy-eyed maggot! Tell me he didn’t just do that?”

You were basically steaming out of your ears.

“She’d pretty creative with her cursing…I give her that,” Miya grinned. “Omi-Omi…be careful of you’d be on the receiving end of that rage…damn…”

“Yes, of course I remember I’ve written in down….” You stated and huffed, “Let me put you on hold…”

You secured your phone between your shoulder and cheek. You came towards the table again to grab a small notebook out of your purse while flipping the pages angrily.

Muttering something about jerk face Yoshio and something about the inability to write.

“Shirabu?” you said into your phone. “His Potassium this morning was 3.4…yes…so for god’s sake no zero k bath, we don’t want to stop his heart from beating…Of course I know you know that!”

You sighed and seemed to calm down, rubbing your temple to calm yourself.  
. “Thanks for calling Shirabu…. good thinking…. If you see him kick his ass… I’ll do the same… I’ll be there tomorrow are you …. okay…cool…coffee on me….k…take care….no… I’m not making a chemistry pun you idiot…. bye.”

You sighed and plopped down on your chair, resting your forehead on the table, and groaned.

“Okay…Y/N-chan…care to explain what just happened?” Miya asked, “I really wanna know what the frothy dizzy-eyed maggot did.”

“Hey Shoyo!” Bokuto yelled, “Try to say that three times after another but really fast!”

“My dearest colleague who happens to be my ex-boyfriend forgot to put down a very important thing on one of the chart of a dialysis patient last night,” you exclaimed, ruffling your hair. “The kid had to be admitted again today and we don’t have the number…and this could be fatal…”

“I didn’t understand a word,” Hinata admitted with a smile.

“Kidneys are there to clean out your blood right?” you explained, gesturing with, “This patient had kidney failure…and he needs to be hooked up on a machine three times a week to make that happen. So to do this we need to look at several things in the blood…for example the potassium….and order the dialysis, ergo the blood cleaning, accordingly.”

“Ah…and that dizzy-eyed maggot forgot to write the number down right?” Hinata nodded.

“Right…”

“and you’ve written the numbers down because you’re awesome?” he added, and you laughed.

“No I don’t actually don’t do it with every patient. Just with him, this guy… “you said with a smile, “he s special…”

Sakusa raised an eyebrow. He never heard you talk about this particular guy patient of yours… you’d not mentioned it to him at all…and you liked to talk about your patients with him from time to time…never dropping names…patient confidentiality, and all…but you’d never mentioned him. His stomach churned at the thought of it, and he took a good swig of his beer.

“Say…. Y/N-san…you called your colleague Shirabu….” Hinata said, “Is his full name Kenjiro Shirabu…does he have weird bangs?”

“Yes…actually… don’t tell me you know him too?” you gasped and had an inkling why somehow everyone you know who played volleyball seemed to know each other.

“I defeated him in a High School Volleyball match and made him cry,” Hinata said proudly. “He was teammates with a guy who is now teammates with my former teammate back in high school.”

“Ah….” You nodded. “Yes, Shirabu always watches the games of the Sweating Adlers or something like that…that one team with the really buff tall guys you’re so fond of Yoomi.”

“Sweating Adlers?” Atsumu snickered, “Damn… I’m copying that nickname…and yer still a little fanboy of Ushiwaka Omi-Omi.”

“I’m not!” Sakusa exclaimed, “I like to analyze their plays.”

“Sure…” Miya snickered.

The evening went along. Hinata was trying to explain volleyball to you with cutlery and salt and pepper shakers…but his descriptions of whoosh and bam wasn’t helping much.  
Sakusa and Atsumu also were discussing tactics, Bokuto getting involved who consistently asked Akashi for his opinion. The other side of the table also eagerly discussing training plans for the season.

Nobody noticed that little Ikuto was squirming in his stroller until he (after a loud exclamation of Bokuto’s famous Hey Hey Hey) full out started bawling.

“OH SHIT!” Meian yelled, “Oh damn…what should I do Inuaki?”

“He’s your son!” the libero exclaimed and gestured to his other teammates that shook their head violently.

“Right…um…” Meian quickly got the baby out of the stroller and tried to rock him, which made him cry only louder “Oh…Ikuto your mother is going to kill meee…”

“Shall I help?” Bokuto offered and stood up, tripping over his feet in his eagerness.

“No….” Akaashi said, “You wouldn’t be any help…”

You watched as the Volleyball players just now seriously discussing tactics on the court were full-fledged, panicking at the sight of a two-month-old infant crying.

“Yoomi…hand me the sanitizer?” you said and swiftly grabbed it out of his trouser pocket.  
He stared at you a little exasperated. Were you also thinking of sanitizing the baby?

But he saw you squirt a little on your hands and rubbing your palms together as you approached the large team captain, rocking around to calm the baby.

“Meian-san…let me…” you offered, and Meian, desperate enough, gently put the wailing baby into your hands.

You took Ikuto, folding his arms across his little chest, and secured it with the palm of your hands. Then you grabbed his diaper area with your dominant hand securely and started rocking him gently up and down at a 40-degree angle while wiggling his bottom.

He stopped crying instantly, looked around curiously, hiccupped, and stared at the Volleyball players who blinked at him.

“What the heck…what kind of black magic is this?” Atsumu yelled out loud, pointing at you.

“I thought my ears would fall off,” Barnes said in broken Japanese while the others nodded.

“I’m not ready for a dog,” Inuaki said, flopping his head onto the table.

Barned then proceeded to say something to Thomas in English, to which you laughed out loud and answered them before turning to the MSBY Captain.

You smiled at him and continued rocking Ikuto. “Meian-san…would you want him back?”

“No…” Meian sighed, putting a hand on his chest, “I mean… I’m good for…now…I mean…thank you...if you want you can hold him…. please?”

You chuckled and swiftly moved the baby, so he was tugged in your arms, looking up to your face “Alright Ikuto-chan, you and me are going to gossip all about the panicked look on all your uncles’ faces. Don’t we…yes I know they looked pretty stupid…”

You walked around smiling gently at the baby who was now trying to eat the finger you were holding out to him as you swayed back and forth, walking so focused on the little guy that you didn’t notice Sakusa’s gaze on you.

Dark eyes following you as you hummed to the infant, the dandelions on your dress swinging with every step.

“You know…Omi-senpai…” Hinata said quietly so only Sakusa and Atsumu could hear, “If you like that vision…you know that there is only one way to go about this. Freaking ask her out already man… she’s pretty, smart… she’s good with kids…hell she can curse…”

They glanced back at you, smiling at Ikuto, who gurgled out loud as you put your nose on top of the little tuft of black hair. It made you grin and approach the Sakusa, who was wary about the tiny human in your arm.

“I’m not going to hold it!” he exclaimed as you sat down on your chair and propped Ikuto’s back up against your chest so that your cheek rested on top of his fluffy hair. At the same time, the baby tried to eat your fingers again.

“Don’t worry I’m not planning on letting the little guy go,” you chuckled, rubbing your cheek against the soft hair.

“Doing the weird thing about smelling babies?” Sakusa chuckled at your grin and soft nod.

“How are you so good at this Y/N-san?” Hinata asked, trying to bring Ikuto to laugh at him.

“Well I do spend a lot of time with infants… they’re mostly in the NICU…much smaller,” you said and gripped the baby a little tighter “and that Black Magic as Atsumu so tactfully called it is just a simple trick I learned from my Sensei…it reminds the tiny humans of their time in the belly I guess.”

“Omi-senpai!” Hinata exclaimed suddenly, grabbing his phone. “Lean in to Y/N-san I wanna take a picture for Ikuto-chan to remember, the day where all of his uncles freaked out and Auntie Y/N saved the day!”

“Do I have to?”  
Sakusa muttered but leaned in a little closer with his chair.

“You could smile a little Omi-Omi,” Atsumu laughed at his teammate’s deadpan expression. Sakusa sighed and tried for a tug of his lips.

“Yoomi,” you whispered since he was so close to you, “Can you smell it?”

“I’m not going to smell the baby Y/n,” he muttered.

“Try it!”

“I’d rather not….” and you giggled and positioned the baby a little higher on your lap. He recognized a faint powdery smell, clean like fresh cotton. He smiled.

“Yes…” you mumbled with a knowing smile on your lips as you glanced up at him. “That’s the baby scent I told you about.”

…

Sakusa was surprisingly quiet on the whole way back home, probably a little too intoxicated (he tend to be quite a philosophical drunk, after all). You, frankly, we’re too nervous about driving his expensive sports car to talk much.

“Thank goodness we’re here!” you exclaimed after you turned off the purring motor, got out of the car, and proceeded to push the elevator button of the underground garage that would lead you up to your apartment complex.

Sakusa quietly following you, hands in his pockets until you jumbled with your keys and opened the front door, and whispered “Tadaima…” into the quiet dark of your apartment.

I’m home…. He thought and watched you slip out of your sneakers into your house shoes.

“Do you want to take a shower first…or would you like something for the probable hangover?” he heard you asked as he watched you stretch out, back muscles flexing under your yellow dress “Kiyoomi…?”

“I’m…” he said “I think I’ll take a little walk before I take a shower…you know to clear my head…”

“Ah…okay…then I’ll head in first,” you smiled and turned around on your feet. “Trying out that new shower gel you bought me…”

“Ah…right…” he said and stopped the thought of wanting to smell that shower gel on your skin.

“Yoomi…are you listening?” you said a little louder, and he noticed that he’d zoned out.

You’d tilted your head a little and had your hands crossed behind your back, tugging at the golden wristwatch. “Thanks for inviting me to join you today…I had a lot of fun….”

“Glad you had fun Y/n,” he said, his half-lidded eyes watching you come closer, biting your lip.

“Um…” you mumbled. “Thanks for trusting me to drive your car…and not yelling at me or something….”

“Why would I yell at you for that?” he chuckled, and you nervously looked up.

“I mean that thing is expensive and all…and I was terrified…I mean have you heard how loud that machine is…” you stuttered, flailing your arms around. “Car my ass… it’s more like a jet engine and I…really should go to bed. I’m rambling….”

You slapped a hand over your eyes. How embarrassing, the adrenaline rush of driving the car had subsided, along with the caffeine in your body, and you felt so tired it made you stupid.

“Yes…you tend to do that,” Kiyoomi chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll be out for a while okay… don’t wait up for me or anything…you need to go to sleep alright?”

“Yes…yes…” you muttered. “You drink some water before bed… it’ll help with the hangover….”

“Sure….” He glanced at you again. “Anyway…”

You were a little elevated, and he was lowered since he was still standing on the genkan. It didn’t matter, though; you were still tiny in comparison to him.

“Anyway,” you agreed, declutching your arms and swinging them back and forth, “Thanks again Yoomi.”

Suddenly, you put your arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.  
He felt himself stiffen instinctively at being touched but relaxed into it when he smelled your familiar scent so close by and felt the chub of your cheek pressed against his shoulder, a little higher because you were able to reach it.

Suddenly you let go, freaking remembering that Sakusa wasn’t fond of being touched and especially without permission. “I’m so sorry Kiyoomi I just didn’t think…I should have asked… I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable…oh shit… you’re frozen…what should I do? What do you need me to do? Are you in shock?”

“Y/n” he took his time to answer but said your name so gently that you heard from his tone that he was not panicking…thank goodness, “I’m alright…it’ just been a long time since I’ve been hugged….”

“Really?” you replied, tilting your head “…oh shit… you’re serious….”

“Yup…” he said, tilting his head as well. “But I think the alcohol is clouding my judgement…could you hug me again?”

“What?” you blinked.

“Hug me again….” He said with a slight blush, “I liked it…you were comfortable….”

“Um…sure…” you said and came closer and wrapped your arms around him, stiff this time.

“Hm…” you felt his voice vibrating in his chest as he spoke, “Y/N would you mind stepping down on the genkan… you’re a little too high…”

“Um…okay…. sure…” you muttered and hopped down, your arms still around his torso shifted downwards with the movement. “Better?”

“Yes…” he exclaimed and wrapped his arms around your small frame as well and rested his chin on top of your hair. It fits now perfectly. You were practically disappearing caged in his embrace, and he felt weirdly protective over you, this moment. He closed his eyes and listened to that thumping he felt with his hands on your back.

The two of you stood there for a minute, a moment…and eternity…or just a second…time was irrelevant…you were there in the comfort of your home. Your home and both of you knew…you weren’t just roommates anymore, and you were scared…but also a little excited of what was to come…

A buzzing from Sakusa’s phone interrupted the two of you. The tone of a message disrupted the silence, and you found yourself yawn. Kiyoomi’s warmth…the beat of his heart had made you feel warm and fuzzy, helping your exhaustion to kick in.

“I’ll head to bed…” you said, loosening your grip around his torso and almost tripping over the step of the genkan.

“Alright…” Kiyoomi said, “I’ll be back soon….”

“G’night Yoomi,” you said, swaying a little as you made your way to the bathroom.

“G’night…” he said and watched your dandelion dress disappear. “Good night my little plum.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo here we are with another part of this Series.
> 
> As you might have read Y/N mentioned the morning after the fever of part 4 "Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms." would you like to be interested in that? If yes, I'll add another chapter to part 4.
> 
> I think this part will have 4 Chapters, which are already outlined in my head...but I have some stuff coming up this week and have to finish my chapter of my other Atsumu Miya/OC fanfic. 
> 
> Thanks for your support on this series.  
> Any ideas and prompts you'd like to read in future parts? You'll definitely get a shoutout in the notes if I manage to write your suggestion into coherent text.
> 
> Stay healthy, hydrated (that means water not only coffee d(￣◇￣)b)


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